


I wanna be the writing on the wall

by sigmalibrae



Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator: Dark Fate
Genre: Communication, F/F, Fingerfucking, Fix-It of Sorts, Lesbian Sex, Movie: Terminator: Dark Fate, Mutual Masturbation, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, aka: Of course Grace survives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:55:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22634689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sigmalibrae/pseuds/sigmalibrae
Summary: “…Grace?”“Yes, Dani?” Impressively casual.“Is this working for you?”Prompt: 2020 Dani playfully asserts herself during sex, and then realizes Grace wants it for real. She realizes how much Grace loves following her lead and taking instruction, and Grace helps her explore how that works further.
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Comments: 25
Kudos: 152
Collections: Terminator: Dark Fate Prompt Meme





	I wanna be the writing on the wall

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Terminator_Dark_Fate_Prompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Terminator_Dark_Fate_Prompts) collection. 



_I wanna be your girlfriend_   
_I wanna be your lover_   
_Your ride or die bitch_   
_Your motherfucker_

_-_ Mondo Cozmo

* * *

The euphoria of survival hasn’t worn off, even months after the fact. Luring the Rev-9 into an induction furnace didn’t come easily, but between the four of them they’d managed it – Dani’s familiarity with industrial machinery came in handy. Once the shock of success wore off, the sense of conflicted mourning about Carl sacrificing himself, Sarah’d kicked their asses into moving – heading northwest, tracking along the vast expanse of southern Texas and aiming for Colorado. Sarah says she knows people there, mountain folks in the Rockies where they should be able to figure out what the fuck comes next. A couple weeks after that… well.

 _I’m not crazy, am I?_ Dani’d asked, with equal parts nervousness and frustration. _Or misreading something?_

Grace got to show her that was absolutely not the case, even though they’d eased into things. Dani’s had time to feel ever more drawn to the way that Grace loves her. Their first nights involved going no further than them tracing gentle over each other’s skin without an agenda; talking, clearing things up between them until Dani drifted off, face tucked into the hollow under Grace’s chin and sleeping as comfortably with another person as she can ever remember doing.

 _Nothing more unless you want it,_ Grace had said, _until you’re ready_ , ever courteous and voice shaking a little. Of course, Dani had woken up one morning after this and rolled over; looked at Grace’s eyes blinking slowly open and the smile creeping onto her still sleep-drowsy face, and kissed her. And kissed her, over and over again, until Grace’s responses had her moaning and moving in closer to kindle up more.

She’s loved learning Grace ever since. It’s indulgent. Dani’s figuring out what wakes Grace’s body up, what she reacts to – Grace shows her, gently, one encounter at a time, new ways to be together that she suspects Dani will like. Hasn’t been wrong, yet, and they both know the reason for that – but Grace says it’s something else, to relive the experience all over again. A first time for everything, twice. And Grace has been honest with her.

_It’s… different with you. Having time. Not being in danger._

Each encounter feels like an affirmation, corroborating the fact that Grace is still here whether she expected to be or not.

As for Dani – she startles herself, with how she can’t get enough of Grace. The adoration in Grace’s face when she looks at Dani, or the way her arms feel around her. The competence she exudes when there’s a problem to solve or something to acquire. All the cocksure swagger in her posture and demeanour, how she slopes through the world and seems to relish everything – sucking the marrow out of being here, in the past that she says she only vaguely remembers from her childhood. The contours of her body – Dani’s never been more attracted to someone in her life, especially now that she knows how effortlessly Grace can scoop her up and leave her breathless. Which she frequently does.

Is doing right now, actually.

Sure, things started innocently enough – Sarah heading out for a meeting with her local contacts, Grace and Dani needing to stay up to let her back in when she returns in a few hours. After Grace’s daily meds – muscle relaxants, something for chronic nerve pain, and the generic NSAID that’s the easiest to procure of the lot – they’d settled in. To relax, obviously. Ready for bed, Grace kicking off everything but the boxers she loves wearing these days and a tank top, and Dani opting for her usual t-shirt and underwear combination. They’d laid back on the bed that they’re sharing in this particular hotel, propped themselves up against pillows, pulled the covers up loosely, and turned on the TV. Whatever show they’d been watching is long forgotten, the power switched off and the room dark except for a single bedside lamp that’s left on. Because Grace’s hand, slung around Dani’s shoulders, had brushed feather-light across Dani’s collarbones. Swept gentle, back and forth; tugged her in gently, to lean against Grace, as she slipped her fingers down the front of Dani’s shirt. From there, it’s a bit of a blur.

Now Grace’s arm is slung around Dani’s waist, holding her partially up and against her reclined body so that the only option is to shift closer in. Her hand is on the side of Dani’s face, fingers tracing into Dani’s hair and over her ears as she kisses her; Dani feels her, the warmth of Grace palpable and omnipresent. One of Dani’s legs is half-slung over Grace’s, bent at the knee, but the twist of her spine from this angle is growing slightly uncomfortable, and she wants _more_. Because Grace’s other hand keeps playing with Dani’s chest through her shirt, thumbing firm over her or brushing past towards the more sensitive part of her ribs. It’s driving her _fucking_ crazy. Weighty and close in a good way and too damn slow. And Grace seems way too satisfied with herself, grinning against Dani’s mouth whenever she gasps.

So she plants a palm square against Grace’s chest, leverages herself slightly up and away. Notices how instantly, Grace eases off to give her room, breathes a small _oh?_ , even though Dani doesn’t plan on losing contact for long. Takes just enough time to ground down, move fluidly so she’s straddling Grace’s hip with a knee in between Grace’s legs; she hears Grace’s sharp intake of breath. It rushes back out as Dani, copying one of Grace’s moves in an instant of boldness, grips light but firm against Grace’s jaw. She’s rewarded with a quiet _ah_ , and files that away to remember later. 

“Do you know,” she asks, ignoring the minor quaver to her voice, “that you’re nothing but trouble?”

Grace lets her eyes drop half-lidded and smirks. “Oh, am I?”

“You are.”

“Why do I get the sense I’m your favourite kind of trouble?” Grace replies, crooking her knee and _rolling_ her hips in a way that carries her thigh up. She’s momentarily a heavy, even presence right at the juncture of Dani’s legs, and there’s a shockwave of want that goes through Dani – she has to fight to stay steady. A difficult task, now that she’s acutely aware of how turned on she is. From the wickedly delighted look on Grace’s face, she’s noticed too.

So instead she presses with the hand gently holding Grace’s jaw – hears another quiet sound from Grace as her head tips back.

“Because you know what you do to me, and you do it well.”

She’s not imagining it – this time there’s a minute shiver beneath her. Processing that, Dani leans in smoothly, by degrees. Until her hair is just whispering against Grace’s collarbones, and she’s angled to look directly at Grace’s face. The other woman, whose eyes have dropped closed, slowly opens them and meets her gaze.

“…Grace?”

“Yes, Dani?” Impressively casual.

“Is this working for you?”

Since her palm is just above the long stretch of Grace’s throat, Dani feels it when Grace swallows.

“…Quite a bit, actually.”

Dani tilts her head to the side, curious, and loves how Grace’s eyes go a little wider when Dani grins.

“I was going to tell you to hurry up. But suddenly, I’m very interested in hearing more. What _about_ this?”

Grace breathes out again, _hahhhh_ , as Dani, on a whim, glides her hand down Grace’s neck. Then lower.

“Uh… I like… you…”

“Yes, well, that was obvious,” Dani teases, tugging Grace’s hem up along the plane of her stomach. 

“Keep distracting me and I’m never going to be able to finish,” Grace retorts lightly, but she steadies Dani with a hand on one of her hips as Dani helps her get her shirt off.

“With you around finishing is rarely an issue,” Dani tests out, tossing the shirt to one side, and Grace _stutters_ like a skipped stone. That’s _delightful._ “Is that it, maybe? You like getting me off?”

“Part of it, yes!” Grace manages, and that starts Dani laughing. “Do you really want to know?”

Dani sits back up, relishing the way Grace’s eyes take her in. “I do, yes.”

Grace runs a thumb, thoughtful, against the outside of one of Dani’s hipbones – her touch tingles, and Dani actively needs to fight the urge to dive in closer and cut Grace off with kisses before she has a chance to speak.

“When we’re together,” Grace begins, “you can feel free to be… assertive?”

“Go on,” Dani says, reaching both hands to the bottom of her t-shirt and starting to draw them up and over her head.

“Oh wow. Uh. You can just tell me what to do. What you want. I love that.”

Dani shifts in closer, loving how it feels to have nothing but skin between them. Unable to resist the urge, Dani noses in behind Grace’s ear, presses her mouth encouragingly, slowly to the side of Grace’s neck. She feels Grace’s chest jump beneath her hands and her body. Circles her hips slow and deliberate instead against Grace’s thigh, once, twice, calling up a delicious heat that burns up behind her ribcage and into her spine, up into her skull. She’s never seen Grace this responsive to conversation alone.

“If I asked you to get your hands on me, already?” she whispers directly into Grace’s ear, and Grace _moans._

“Thrilled to oblige,” is the response, as Grace’s leg drops out from between them. She nudges it underneath Dani’s, creating space for her hand to slip between them. “ _Oh._ ”

“You see?” Dani’s voice hitches a little, because even with Grace’s fingers pressing over top of the fabric of her underwear, she can feel how wet she is. Her fingertips dig in a little, bracing where they do on Grace’s shoulder and right between her breasts, at her sternum. “You’ve had me wanting this for most of this evening, now.” 

Grace nudges the gusset to one side, whistles low with satisfaction as she confirms that for herself more directly. “Does that mean I’ve done a good job?”

Just like that, the rest of it clicks for Dani. The knowledge of what Grace is offering her. Fighting past the part of her that just wants to demand Grace work against her, find her clit and touch her until she comes, Dani locks her eyes to Grace’s open, level gaze. Sure enough. And beneath her open hand, splayed where it is, she can feel Grace’s pulse, quickened tangibly.

“You do amazing things,” Dani says, deliberate and unhurried. Heady with something akin to wonder, as Grace gives her that look and seems to hang on every word she’s saying. “Absolutely amazing things, every single time you fuck me. Do you want me to tell you just how good you’re making me feel tonight, Grace?”

“ _Please._ ”

“Well then. I want you to, please.” Dani says, as though she’s not a little lightheaded with this, with all of it. She leans back, Grace helping, as she gets her underwear slid back and down, neither of them concerned when the garment catches on Dani’s ankle and Dani has to kick it away to get lost somewhere in the rumpled bedsheets. More important for her to take Grace’s face between her hands and kiss her. When they finally part, there’s no time to land back in the same spot. Grace’s hand is at the small of her back, pulling her gently forward as the other hand glides into place against her.

Dani feels the breath leave her lungs, a startled _ah!_ – because it never fails to thrill her, when Grace touches her, and for the first moment the only sensation is one of _relief._ Only… in the past Grace has been teasing, leisurely, until Dani is begging for it; right now she’s direct, focused. Dani finds herself clinging on, holding herself up on shaking legs and by winding her arms across Grace’s back, the broad stretch of her shoulders, one hand clutching Grace’s head in towards her. Of course Grace takes advantage of the angle and proximity, gently biting a kiss onto Dani’s collarbone, darting her tongue against the skin there, sucking at her until Dani is gasping. Grace releases, skin prickling in that way that means she’s left a mark, fingers working deft and circling close against Dani’s clit and her arm secure around Dani’s waist. Already it’s hard to concentrate, with such heavy sweetness grounding down through her where Grace is touching her. Like Grace is all that closes the circuit.

“How’m I doing so far?” This in Grace’s honeyed-whiskey voice, a little rumbly the way that Dani’s only heard a couple of times, the way that makes her feel a little weak. It takes a second to recognize the prompt.

“ _Incredible_ –” and Grace hums happily back in her throat. Dani tugs her in, pointedly adding, “though I think I would love your mouth on me again.”

“Any preference where?” All said while Grace keeps up the pace, varying the pressure now and again without ever losing her place. Dani struggles to parse the words through the feeling that’s rapidly building within her, the steam-heat of it.

“I – at my…” And all at once, what she’s about to say hits her, and her smile quirks bashfully even though she gets the words out. “You were doing such a good job earlier, winding me up by touching my chest –”

Grace groans her approval before Dani can quite finish the sentence, which gets cut off anyway by a stifled _oh_ as Grace tips forward to take one of Dani’s nipples into her mouth. It adds something entirely different – how careful Grace is with her teeth, the flicker of her tongue. The feeling is an anchoring corresponding point of heat further up her body, and Dani jolts forwards; then, when that feels good, she keeps rocking her hips against Grace’s hand.

“Grace –” She’s half out of her mind, at this point, with Grace humming an inquisitive note against her chest and the steady build singing up her spine, the feeling of radiance all through her head; Dani could swear she’s glowing, with what Grace is doing to her. “Just like that, please, that feels so good, you’re so good to me–”

For the first and only time, Grace’s rhythm falters and only Dani’s surge forwards serves as maintenance, riding the insistent press of Grace’s fingers. So Dani continues, mind only half-present as the words start to flow from her. “Every time, Grace, my God, it’s you – you do realize, don’t you? My Grace, you keep saving me, this saves me too, because I’m with _you_ – and how you hold me, your hands, your _mouth_ , all of you, I always want you and always will–”

Dani’s voice breaks on the last word as it almost overwhelms her, she nearly comes but it ebbs back, and Grace notices, draws back. “God, Dani, you’re going to wreck _me_ – are you close?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Dani nearly sobs.

“What do you need?”

“Just don’t stop, Grace, _please_ , keep going–!”

She’s close, God, she’s right at the edge of it, that razor’s edge between feeling like the sun or scattershot stars, Dani’s riding Grace’s hand where it glides so easily against her clit and she’s going to come–

Dani has to muffle the sound she makes against Grace’s shoulder, as it bursts through her; and Grace just keeps working against her, letting Dani keep moving into her touch until she’s not sure whether she’s come again or if the aftershocks were just tapering off with a secondary, smaller flare. Eventually, Grace withdraws her hand, wipes it next to her – probably on the sheets. And when Dani finally leans back, panting, feeling sweat beading on her brow and like she’s about to collapse, Grace almost looks drugged. She’s smiling, a little dopily, and places her hand against Dani’s cheek soothingly – rubs a thumb against Dani’s cheekbone. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Dani manages.

“Good?” This time Dani kisses her as a response, deep and expansive and a little incautious. Grace mumbles into the corner of her mouth, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I’ll never get tired of this with you.” Dani wants to give this back, as good as she’s gotten. And she knows she’s small, but when Grace picks her up without a single sign of exertion – gently lays Dani down to rest on her side just by slowly uncurling her arm, at last giving her legs a break – she’s reminded of how _strong_ Grace is. There’s a shivery thrill of continued interest that relays all through her nerves. “I’d like to touch you. Can I?”

Grace, propped on one elbow and gently stroking the curve from Dani’s ribs down to her hips and back again, nods. “Please,” she breathes, and Dani shifts in closer.

“And I want you inside me as I do,” she continues, and notices Grace’s mouth drop open a little.

“I… yes, absolutely,” Grace stammers readily, reaching down. “God, you’re soaked –”

The elastic of Grace’s waistband stretches easily, as Dani reaches a hand down – past the soft thatch of Grace’s pubic hair, lower, until Dani’s reaching between Grace’s legs. Grace shifts, opens up the angle of her hips to make things easier; she’s not even trying to hide her eagerness.

“So are you,” Dani observes, finding that to be the case. “Would you fuck me, please?”

She crooks her fingers a little, like a _come here_ gesture, and Grace practically growls. Grace adjusts the pillows so they’ll both have neck support, and reaches down. Within seconds she’s found a way to position her hand so that she doesn’t interfere with Dani’s angle of approach. And then, without breaking eye contact, Grace slides two fingers inside Dani.

“That’s it–!”

Prior experience suggests that Dani’s not going to come again from this alone, but it’s what she’s after anyways – the solid presence of Grace within her, where the aftershocks are still rolling through now and again. She feels open, pliant, accepting of everything Grace is giving her. And when she rocks her hips, meeting Grace’s gentle motions, starts to move her own hand – gliding up and down easily at Grace’s clit – she feels Grace’s fingers twitch inside her. “You’re so close to me, this way. And you’re so gentle.”

“I…” Grace begins, voice tight – she has to clear her throat, try again. “I need to be. Never wanna hurt you.”

There’s that groan, again, the one that means Dani’s doing something that feels good.

“You never have.”

Grace’s hips tilt, shift in closer unconsciously – her eyes, which have been downcast, turn up to look at Dani. “Good.”

All at once even the contact between them isn’t enough – Dani extracts her free hand from where it’s been curled, resting between them on the pillows, and caresses the side of Grace’s face. She lingers at the scars, pale half-moons beneath each of Grace’s eyes. Traces them. She stills her hips for a moment, moves her hand more urgently against Grace – the reward is a moan, as Grace curls her fingers inside her – and when Dani can speak again she does.

“I love you,” she starts. “All of you. What you’ve been, what you’ve become. Grace, I love your strength, and how I can’t ignore it when you’re holding me, and how careful you are – with me, with us, and you don’t have to be afraid of any of that. I love _this,_ I love your hands in me and on me and how I get to make you fall apart, how I’m the one who gets to see that–”

Grace, who’s stiffened slightly, cries out a little bit and remembers to start moving her hand again. They’re both rocking into each other, and the speed is picking up, and Dani keeps going: “Like that, Grace, I love how deep you are inside me and how you let me touch you; I want to take care of you, Grace, because you’re so good at doing that for me. I want you to come for me–”

“ _Dani_ –”

She hesitates, for a second, and Grace makes a noise –

“Was that too much?” Dani starts, but Grace _pushes_ into her and holds her hand there, Dani hissing at how delicious it is, and looks at her with eyes bright as a gas flame.

“Ask me,” Grace pleads, and Dani realizes how close Grace is, how much she’s trembling against her.

“Would you come for me, Grace?” she whispers, and with a scant few motions, Grace, taut, falls apart in her hands. She turns her head towards the pillow and Dani can hear her, crying out into it, and Dani rides her through it until Grace regains the presence of mind to withdraw.

They collapse what little distance remains between them, holding tight and heedless of the mess they’re making of each other; Dani skims her hands over Grace’s back, soothing sweeping motions. “Are you okay?” She asks, she has to ask, because she’s never seen Grace _react_ like that before, not that intensely.

Eventually, between breaths, Grace laughs unsteadily – pulls Dani in for a kiss. “ _Yes_ ,” she says, and Dani can feel Grace’s smile against the corner of her mouth. “Oh, _God_ , Dani, absolutely. Thank you.”

She can feel herself grinning, and Grace looks at her with such raw affection that it makes her feel profoundly fragile and powerful all at once. “Well.”

“Well.”

“That was effective. I'll have to remember that.”

Grace moves some hair out of Dani’s face, tucks it behind her ear. “You’re a natural. Would you like more?”

But Dani shakes her head – she’s content, some part of her brain thrumming happily in a way that she’d like to sit with for a while. “A shower, with you, I think.”

“Well,” Grace smiles, mischievous all over again even with the edges of her voice blurred with afterglow. “Just tell me if you change your mind. Always happy to assist.” 

At some point Sarah gets back, after they wash up and curl into bed against each other, enfolded by the bedcovers and resting in the dark. It must be the early hours of the morning – because Dani wakes, bleary and half-conscious, to the loss of Grace’s arms around her. The shifting of the mattress. She hears quiet footsteps, Grace’s uncanny ability to move silently, and the door creak open. Hushed voices at the door, the low timbre of Sarah’s voice. And then the door is latching again, and Grace settles back into place around her. Sarah goes to the bathroom – Dani hears that door close, the hiss and rush of the shower starting up again.

“Alright?” Dani mumbles.

“Sarah says yes.” There are lips brushing against Dani’s forehead, an arm slipped under her neck and another wrapping to pull her in tight against Grace’s chest. “You can sleep, again.”

“Grace?”

“Mm?”

“Thank you. For trusting me.”

The arms around her squeeze gently. “Of course,” Grace whispers.

Dani wants to say more. But the words are slipping away from her and instead taking on the shape of a dream, imagined conversations. And the last thought that occurs to her, in the moments before she drifts back into comfortable darkness, is _oh_.

If she wants a chance to indulge in this some more, to learn Grace better, she doesn’t have to worry. After all: they have time. 

**Author's Note:**

> The full prompt: _2020 Dani playfully asserts herself during sex, and then realizes Grace wants it for real. She realizes how much Grace loves following her lead and taking instruction, and Grace helps her explore how that works further. (Smut/Grace having a praise kink, Dani figuring out she's into it and something of a natural, Grace guiding her gently into it because she's still finding her feet)_
> 
> This was a fun prompt to fill - and let it be known that the song inspiring the title was listened to on repeat this past week, because it _didn't have to go so hard but sure does_. Anyways. I love the contrast between how fucking badass Grace is with how tender she is with Dani, and figuring out how they might negotiate this particular dynamic was very interesting.


End file.
